Browns, Condoleezza Rice shut down surprising head coaching rumors

Condoleezza Rice and the Browns are tackling their surprising head coaching rumors.

The Browns released a statement from GM John Dorsey contradicting a Sunday ESPN report indicating Cleveland was interested in interviewing the former Secretary of State for their vacant head coaching job.

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“Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is a great leader, possesses the highest possible character and also happens to be a Browns fan,” reads the statement, issued before 1 p.m. kick-off. “I have the utmost respect and admiration for all she’s accomplished and was honored to meet her for the first time earlier this season. Our coaching search will be thorough and deliberate, but we are still in the process of composing the list of candidates and Secretary Rice has not been discussed.”

“I love my Browns — and I know they will hire an experienced coach to take us to the next level," she added. “On a more serious note, I do hope that the NFL will start to bring women into the coaching profession as position coaches and eventually coordinators and head coaches. One doesn’t have to play the game to understand it and motivate players.”

Rice, 64, would have become the first woman to land an interview for an NFL head coaching job.

The lifelong Browns fan served in the George W. Bush administration from 2005-09 and has beefed up her sports resume since leaving office.

Condoleezza Rice. (Ben Margot / AP)

Rice was among the inaugural members of the College Football Playoff Selection committee, for which she served four seasons, and chaired a commission on college basketball that introduced several rule changes this year.

Dorsey introduced the idea of going with an unconventional coaching hire last week.

“I just want the best possible head coach to move this thing forward regardless of age,” Dorsey recently said. “It could be a woman, too. Do not look at me like that. I am serious. Who knows? We will look at everything is what I am trying to tell you all.”

Though it doesn’t look like Rice will be the one.

The Browns (3-6-1) are in the market for a new head coach after canning Hue Jackson, who went a miserable 3-36-1 in two and a half seasons. Gregg Williams, the team’s defensive coordinator, has since served as the interim coach for the Baker Mayfield-led Browns.

Rice has been a mainstay at Browns games this season, ESPN reported, and was seen with owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam before the Browns Sept. 30 game to the Raiders.

The out-of-the-blue report came as more women have taken larger roles within men's professional sports. Becky Hammon, the first female to serve as a full-time NBA assistant, was recently promoted to the Spur’s top assistant.

Meanwhile in the NFL, the Bills hired Kathryn Smith as a quality control assistant, the Raiders hired Kelsey Martinez to their strength staff and San Francisco appointed Katie Sowers as an offensive assistant.